Escapism in the post-metaphysical era

Philosophy

Abstract

This article examines the phenomenon of escapism from an ontological perspective, which involves rethinking the concepts of «world», «reality», «object», and «subject» in the context of modernity. This context is characterized by the problematization and destruction of «grand narratives» that underlie the «common» as such. This situation necessitates a rethinking of escapism. Within the framework of classical metaphysics of the Modern Age, this phenomenon is typically interpreted negatively. This assessment is linked to the particular worldview characteristic of this era. Modern European metaphysics interprets the world as an «objective reality» serving as a common repository of things and phenomena. The human subject occupies a very specific position in relation to this reality. This position presupposes the fulfillment of the ontological mission of transforming and rationalizing reality in accordance with the laws of nature. In this context, escapism, as a phenomenon of «withdrawal from the world», is interpreted negatively, as an attempt to evade this mission. The post-metaphysical era, which started in the second half of the 19th century, was marked by the collapse of notions of a stable and ordered «objective reality» and of man’s place in the «common» world. This paper demonstrates that, in this situation, the negative assessment of escapism as social deviation becomes irrelevant. The problematization of the «common» confronts man with the need to constantly recreate the world as a meaningful whole. Within this framework, the phenomenon of escapism can be interpreted not as a deviation but as a justified reaction to the bankruptcy of the «common». In relation to this ontological situation, two types of escapism are distinguished: meaningful escapism and «unconscious» escapism. The latter can be viewed as an evasion and escape — not from «common» reality but from the ontological task of meaningfully re-creating the world.